3 days ago
'We're looking to the group stages – that's where the real money is' says Shelbourne boss Joey O'Brien
Shelbourne have their eyes set on reaching the group stages of European competition after emerging successful from the All-Island derby.
Their 2-1 aggregate victory over Linfield was completed at Windsor Park on Tuesday, paving the way for a second round Champions League clash against Azeris Qarabağ. The first leg takes place next Wednesday at Tolka Park.
Even elimination next week cascades Shels into the Europa League, from which they will have a Conference League playoff to navigate.
Shamrock Rovers passed that threshold and into the knockout stages, banking €6.5m, but Shels can gross half that by participating in the group stage.
'This opens up another door from the club's point of view,' he said, referencing the group of investors including Micky O'Rourke and the Doyle brothers, Neil and Cathal.
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'Here listen, the people at this club don't get involved at this level to make money.
'The lads in the background do it because they absolutely love it. Ultimately, to get the real money, you must make group stages.
'I told to the players in there that the aim. We don't want this to be our want our European memory. We want to go and create more history by qualifying for the groups.'
O'Brien will check on the fitness of captain Mark Coyle and Conor Kearns after both mainstays were substituted with knee and hamstring injuries respectively. There's an FAI Cup tie at Fairview Rangers on Saturday first.
He said: 'Mark was struggling. He's a warrior and wanted to keep going but I felt on recovery he wasn't able to sprint and we can't take chances at this level.
'With Conor going down we only had one sub (interval) left. That created an issue about when to make the sub and why we changed formation.
The former Ireland international was eager to credit his former boss Damien Duff, who shocked all alike by quitting within a week of the first Shelbourne Champions League fixtures for 20 years being drawn.
'This wasn't something I had planned, just the way it worked out,' he explained.
'I just said to the lads in there, the manager had a huge say in this and the squad he built, the success that we had last year, a huge part of him created this night, it was up to us and the players, not to me, I said to the players when I took over, you take on the baton, he stepped aside, you take it and run with it and see how far we can go.
'I thought we were the better team over two legs but sometimes you don't always get what you deserve.'
